We tend to look at a team’s positional draft needs, which means we often ignore what a given squad needs in terms of skills. Anyone who has watched the Clippers over the past few years should be able to tell you that the Clippers pressing need isn’t a point guard a or a small forward.

The Clippers need a person – at any position – who can pass the ball.

I’m not talking about a point guard. Phoenix, Utah, Golden State, and most Phil Jackson teams have taught us that wings and big men who can pass will compensate for a lot of other shortcomings. None of the Clippers’ best seven or eight players can reasonably be called an above-average passer at his position.

We spend a good deal of time around here complaining that the Clippers’ offense isn’t creative enough. But you know what? All that pretty stuff that teams like Phoenix run? It’s all predicated on the notion that your personnel can pass the ball. Just as a team’s offensive options are limited in a possession if it can’t shoot the ball, the Clippers can’t do a lot of things they’d like to in an offensive set. You can’t make braised short ribs and polenta with ground sirloin and instant grits.

Draft Breakdown starts tomorrow.

Posted Wednesday, October 29 at 3:20PM

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Comments

So drafting one big man who can pass is going to solve the Clips stagnant offense? And what happens for the rest of the 35 minutes when said passing big man rookie is not on the court? Those teams you mentioned were the result of an entire roster of guys who can pass or were predicated on systems that don't require particularly skilled passers. We need a point guard that will facilitate the whole damn thing for us plain and simple.

Relax. The bottom line is that Crittenton is not a facilitator. And, truthfully, as much as we all like Acie Law, he's not ready to play 30 mins. a night. That isn't to say the Clips shouldn't take him if he's on the board. I like the guy, but he isn't ready to step in and ficilitate an NBA offense, if that's what you're looking for -- few college PGs are. Sad is it sounds, Hart and Blake are your best options for the time being.

true we might not have the best passers, but its not like they cant swing the ball side to side to break down defenses...i have to blame the coach on that. im not a super maggette supporter, but based on the last month and a half of the season he surprised me with his passing and i've watched his whole career. so if maggs can become a playmaker why cant the rest of the team. they need more pic's and cuts to the basket to utilize their passing skills and dunlevy is at fault there.

I'd trade the pick for someone. Clipper have to many young players. Ortiz will probably make the team this year. Between him ewing and Hart, they can figure things out. They also got SOFO in greece. Korlev is just a waste of a roster spot.

With their pick and Maggetti they can get someone good. Throw in Kamen and Singleton and maybe they could get Garnett.

i agreed with you dan untill you said singleton. how many undrafted players do you know of that had back to back doubles in their first ever nba games? plus, how many coaches would refuse to play a player like that? appearently only one...dumblevy. the guy had five three's in one game, and so did korolev and you see where that got them?

c'mon guys...maggette is their 2nd best player and their only pure scorer. They need him almost as much as EB. What they really NEED to do is improve their guard play. They have HANDS DOWN the worst backcourt in the league. They also badly need scoring.

They are in a bad spot. although corey is turnover prone and ill-tempered, trading him for next to nothing will not remedy any of their problems.

Ian - good post. Unfortunately the Clippers' problems are self-inflicted, which is particularly sad since they have squandered Sterling finally opening up the wallet. Overvaluing Livingston and poor decisionmaking from the front office (read - Dunleavy), not necessarily in that order.

It's my understanding that Nick Young will very likely be gone before he gets to the Clips. This we have a very difficult choice. Do we trade Maggette and/or Kaman? For whom? This will be a difficult draft and given their track record lately I'm unfortunately rather pessimistic.